Without plants, most life would not exist!

Photosynthesis has provided O2 for billions of years

Photosynthesis has provided O2 for billions of years





  • ↑ [O2] provided a new metabolic opportunity for biological diversification


  • ↑ [O2] promotes changes in chemical interactions between rocks, sand, clay, air, oceans, etc.

Plants conditioned the land for animals



  • 400 MYA: oldest know insects


  • 397 MYA: tetrapods evolve in shallow water


  • 340 MYA: amphibians evolve


  • 310 MYA: reptiles evolve


  • Then… a bunch of mass extinctions

Almost every living thing on Earth interacts with plants in some way

Plants are responsible for the products WE rely on

  • Vegetable and animal matter via agriculture and pasture lands


  • Textiles, lumber and medicine provide us quality of life


  • Spices, perfumes, dyes, food stabilizers, emulsifiers, Starbuck’s, etc. allow us to live our best life

Plants may be respsible for the future products we rely on

Plants may be respsible for the future products we rely on

This semester, we will…..

  • Learn to identify plants in the wild
    • build real and virtual plant collections
    • learn the value of plants in the wild


  • Understand how plants function
    • identify how these processes affect humans


  • Explore the past, present and future of agriculture


  • Dig into the various ways plants define our culture